Online Mapping Platforms: Between Citizen-Oriented and Research-Focused Tools of Participation?

Abstract

Contemporary planning debate goes beyond the issues of material placemaking. It has been proposed that Public Participation Geographical Information System (PPGIS) methods (mapping platforms in particular) can help to achieve civic maturity, sense of agency, and the social development of the inhabitants. However, researchers need to be consciously engaged (e.g., embracing a Participatory Action Research [PAR] approach), to really pass those platforms to the hands of the community and help the inhabitants to form a two-way communication. With the right use, mapping platforms can be more than just a simple data collection tool. Used without deeper awareness, it can only remain a modern tool.